The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast

Dave Hill is a comedian, actor, author, musician and podcaster. He's also a guitar fanatic. In fact, at the 2025 Fretboard Summit, he'll be performing an entire stand-up set on guitar (!) and doing some crowd work on your pedal boards. On this week's podcast, we talk to Dave about his love for guitar, why teenage gear obsessions are so hard to kick, his plans for his Summit set and how he balances so many different facets to his career. It's a great chat with a brilliant and funny artist. https://www.davehillonline.com [https://www.davehillonline.com] See Dave at the Fretboard Summit on Friday night: https://fretboardsummit.org/ [https://fretboardsummit.org/] The Fretboard Summit is our three-day festival celebrating great guitars and great guitar people. We have nearly 80 luthiers, amp builders, and pedal makers exhibiting, hourly workshops and master classes, and some mind-bogglingly great evening performances.   The fun takes place August 21-23, 2025 at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music.  We are brought to you by: Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com [https://stringjoy.com] (Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order) Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com [https://mmguitarbar.com] Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com [https://www.pegheadnation.com] (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout). https://www.fretboardjournal.com [https://www.fretboardjournal.com]

James Kee of East Nash Grass joins us this week to talk about his band's forthcoming album 'All God's Children' and the guitar he just acquired and restored, a 1955 Martin D-18 formerly owned by Earl Scruggs! During our chat, we learn all about the D-18's restoration (which Nashville luthier Hugh Hansen just completed), East Nash Grass' forthcoming record 'All God's Children,' why you should always have an Intellitouch tuner on-hand, and so much more.   https://www.eastnashgrass.com [https://www.eastnashgrass.com] https://www.instagram.com/jamesalankee/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/jamesalankee/?hl=en] Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com [https://stringjoy.com] (Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order) Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com [https://mmguitarbar.com] Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com [https://www.pegheadnation.com] (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout). https://www.fretboardjournal.com [https://www.fretboardjournal.com]

Summer School Electronics founder Mark Turley joins us this week to discuss the history of his pedal company, his day job as a schoolteacher, our Fretboard Summit gathering, and so much more.  In what has become an annual tradition, Summer School will be debuting a new, wild pedal at our Summit. For the first time ever, Mark will also teach a pedal-making class during our festival. Space is limited, but you'll go home with the ultimate Summit souvenir...a new pedal that you created!  Register for our Summit:  https://fretboardsummit.org/ [https://fretboardsummit.org/] (August 21-23, 2025 in Chicago!) To RSVP for Mark's pedal build class: https://www.summerschoolelectronics.com/shop/p/fretboard-summit-pedal-building-class [https://www.summerschoolelectronics.com/shop/p/fretboard-summit-pedal-building-class] We are brought to you by: Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com [https://stringjoy.com] (Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order) Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com [https://mmguitarbar.com] Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com [https://www.pegheadnation.com] (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout). https://www.fretboardjournal.com [https://www.fretboardjournal.com]

Musician, composer, and writer Skip Heller was one of the Fretboard Journal's earliest subjects, contributors, and podcast guests. On this week's show, we catch up with Skip to talk about his new exotica album, 'Mojave After Dark.' We chat about his early pieces for the magazine - including the story on John Hartford he penned for our fourth edition - and so much more. Skip has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to music. You may just want to take notes.  https://skiphellersvoodoo5.bandcamp.com/album/mojave-after-dark [https://skiphellersvoodoo5.bandcamp.com/album/mojave-after-dark] We are brought to you by: Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com [https://stringjoy.com] (Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order) Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com [https://mmguitarbar.com] Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com [https://www.pegheadnation.com] (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout). https://fretboardsummit.org/ [https://fretboardsummit.org/] (August 21-23, 2025 in Chicago!) https://www.fretboardjournal.com [https://www.fretboardjournal.com]

Meet Emma Harner, an incredibly talented artist from Nebraska who, unbelievably, has only been playing guitar since the pandemic.  Emma's complex playing, a mix of math rock and acoustic fingerpicking, and arresting vocals have earned her over 200,000 followers on Instagram and accolades from numerous guitar heroes. During our chat, we talk about her guitar journey, including her time at Berklee, working at Guitar Center, her favorite tuning, her love for Radiohead, why she won't be covering Nick Drake or Adrianne Lenker any time soon, her new single, and so much more. It's a great conversation and Emma's first interview to date. Follow Emma:  https://emmaharner.com [https://emmaharner.com] https://www.instagram.com/emmaharner/ [https://www.instagram.com/emmaharner/] https://substack.com/@emmaharner [https://substack.com/@emmaharner] We are brought to you by: Stringjoy Strings: https://stringjoy.com [https://stringjoy.com] (Use the code FRETBOARD to save 10% off your first order) Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar: https://mmguitarbar.com [https://mmguitarbar.com] Peghead Nation: https://www.pegheadnation.com [https://www.pegheadnation.com] (Get your first month free or $20 off any annual subscription with the promo code FRETBOARD at checkout). https://fretboardsummit.org/ [https://fretboardsummit.org/] (August 21-23, 2025 in Chicago!) https://www.fretboardjournal.com [https://www.fretboardjournal.com]